10 Phrases He Secretly Hates

Constantly complaining about your weight? Comparing your hubby to his dad? Newsflash: He hates when you do this. Here are the phrases that drive him absolutely crazy, and to banish them from your vocabulary. Is that the sound of better communication?

"You're exactly like your father."

"You're exactly like your father."

Sure, we love our parents, but no one wants to be compared to them — especially when it's not a compliment. Marriage and family therapist Carin Goldstein says that starting a conversation with this phrase comes off as critical, judgmental and possibly insulting to your partner. She suggests spinning it differently if you want him to actually hear you. "If he's passive aggressive and that's how his father acts, take the comparison out — it leaves you stuck in negativity." Instead, tackle the problem outright by saying something like, "It would really help me if you could be more direct about what you're talking about." The key is asking for a desired behavior, not heaping on the blame.

"I'm so fat!"

"I'm so fat!"

Here's the deal: He hates when you call yourself overweight. Most likely, he loves the way you look — he fell in love with you, right? — and does not want to hear you put yourself down. Step into his shoes and think about how you'd feel if he constantly complained about his slight beer belly. You love him for so many more reasons than how he looks — especially if there's change over the years — and it's important to remember that he feels the same about you. If for some (crazy) reason, he happens to agree with you, he's likely thinking more along the lines of, "Quit complaining and get moving."